Former Everton boss Koeman suggests new Liverpool signing Gakpo made PL move too soon | OneFootball

Former Everton boss Ronald Koeman has suggested that Cody Gakpo moved to the Premier League too soon as Liverpool continue to struggle this season.

The 23-year-old hit nine goals 12 assists in 14 Eredivisie matches in the first half of the campaign before getting a move to Premier League side Liverpool in January.

It has only been a month but the signs have not been great so far for Gakpo with the Netherlands international struggling to make an impact with no goals or assists in six starts for the Reds in all competitions.

Liverpool are currently tenth in the Premier League after losing 3-0 to Wolves over the weekend and their next fixture comes on Monday when they face Everton in the Merseyside derby.

And Koeman thinks the Reds’ lowly position and poor form has hindered Gakpo’s acclimatisation to the Premier League.

“He has ended up in a team that is not doing well,” Koeman said (via BBC Sport).

“If you don’t score or you’re not important and you don’t win any matches, it’s very difficult, especially for a young player.

“If that was someone aged 28, with experience, it would be different.”

Speaking on a YouTube show hosted by former footballer Andy van der Meyde, Koeman added: “The level in England is higher than in the Netherlands.

“But they are also young boys, aren’t they? Like [Ryan] Gravenberch going to Bayern [Munich] and not playing. Then that is difficult.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann believe the Reds need to give Gakpo time to adapt but he thinks the signing could’ve waited until at least the summer.

Hamann told Fan Nation:”I thought he plays off the frontman, plays off Nunez, maybe play up top or on the wing. But I thought he played in a deeper role and that’s where he scores his goals for Netherlands. Liverpool have been brilliant in the transfer market in the last five, six seasons.

“I feel watching him now that we should give him time because I know from personal experience that the game is different in England.

“He wouldn’t be the first player who needs five, six, seven months to adapt to the Premier League.

“But when I see him play now, it looks to me like it’s the first time I feel Liverpool have been forced into a transfer because there was talk of United being interested, somebody else being interested, I’m not sure they needed the player now.

“I think there are one or two positions that were a lot more urgent in January. I don’t think that’s the player they should have bought in January.”